A baby boomer breakfast trend in Italy is for breakfast to consist of coffee and a bit of a sweet treat. Ever since our Italy trip in May of 2024 with my sister Diane and her son Alex, Eric has been more inclined to prefer pastry for breakfast with his morning cup of coffee instead of his previously standard cereal and fruit. With Eric’s propensity for lemon flavored delicacies, when an Italian lemon cake popped into my inbox, he was all in for being my recipe taste tester.
Throughout Italy, rustic cakes made with ground nut meal are popular. This is one such cake. Torta Ricotta di Mandorle e Limone isn’t an overly sweet dessert offering. It is a subtly sweet treat for breakfast with bright citrusy notes of lemon and a depth of richness from the ricotta. It uses a combination of cake flour and almond flour, reducing the gluten protein, creating a uniform crumb, and adding a pleasant nuttiness to the cake. Eric heartily approves of this for his first meal of the day!
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake (adapted from seriouseats.com) Total Time Required: 90 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Bake Time: 75 minutes, Makes: 9-inch cake
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/4 cups almond flour, sifted
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon zest from 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- powdered sugar, for serving
Directions:
Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch aluminum cake pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Set the flour mixture aside.
Combine the dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Mix on medium speed until everything is incorporated, about 1 minute, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula halfway through the mixing.
Combine the sugars, butter, and lemon zest.
Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next.
Mix in the eggs, combining well.
Add the ricotta and increase the speed to medium, beating until incorporated, about 1 minute. The mixture will not look smooth.
Add the ricotta to the mixer.
Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds just to incorporate, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is well-combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
Add the flour mixture all at once.
Using a spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes.
Cool the baked cake on a wire rack.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert the cake onto a large plate or the wire rack, remove the parchment, and flip the cake right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely.
When ready to serve, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the powdered sugar over the cake.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar.
Cut the cake into slices and serve. The cake can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Sift a little extra powdered sugar over the top right before serving.
A delicious start to the day!
Cake for breakfast is a wonderfully Italian thing! Linda
Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake (adapted from seriouseats.com) Total Time Required: 90 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Bake Time: 75 minutes, Makes: 9-inch cake
Ingredients:
- 1-1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/4 cups almond flour, sifted
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1-1/2 tablespoons lemon zest from 2 lemons
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese, at room temperature
- powdered sugar, for serving
Directions:
Place the oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 325°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch aluminum cake pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Set the flour mixture aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Mix on medium speed until everything is incorporated, about 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stop to scrape the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula halfway through the mixing.
Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Add the ricotta and increase the speed to medium, beating until incorporated, about 1 minute. The mixture will not look smooth. Stop the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed for 15 seconds just to incorporate, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the batter is well-combined and smooth, about 30 seconds.
Using a spatula, transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
Bake the cake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 1 hour, then run a butter knife around the edges to loosen it. Invert the cake onto a large plate or the wire rack, remove the parchment, and flip the cake right side up. Allow the cake to cool completely.
When ready to serve, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the powdered sugar over the cake. Cut the cake into slices and serve. The cake can be kept covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Sift a little extra powdered sugar over the top right before serving.